Bioremediation Of Marine Oil Spills

The massive Exxon Valdez oil spill prompted the Nation to take steps to improve its capability to fight oil spills. This background paper evaluates the state of knowledge in 1991 and assesses the potential of bioremediation (BR) for responding to marine oil spills. Chapters: Summary and Findings; The Fate of Oil in the Marine Environment; Biodegradation and the Chemical Nature of Petroleum; Microbial Processes and the Degradation of Petroleum; Environmental Influences on Biodegradation; General Advantages and Disadvantages of BR; Alternative BR Technologies; Environmental and Health Issues; BR in Relation to Other Response Technologies; BR Activities in the Public and Private Sectors; Regulatory Issues. Glossary. Charts and tables.

In this book international experts discuss the state-of-the-art in the biological degradation of hydrocarbons to meet remedial or disposal goals. The work focuses on practical applications, often on globally important scales including the remediation of some of the world’s largest crude oil spills. Other related chapters discuss important implications of microbial transformation of hydrocarbons, including treatment of high fat processing wastes, impacts of microbial biodegradation activity on industrial processes, and the implications of microbial oil degradation in relation to modern oil extraction processes like hydraulic fracturing of shales and extraction of oil sands.

The book discusses ways to overcome the side effects of using hydrocarbon-based products as energy sources. Hydrocarbons produce raw crude oil waste of around 600,000 metric tons per annum, with a range of uncertainty of 200,000 metric tons per year. The various chapters in this book focus on approaches to reduce these wastes through the application of potential microbes, in a process called bioremediation. The book is a one-stop reference resource on the methods, mechanisms and application of the bio-composites, in the laboratory and field. Focusing on resolving a very pressing environmental issue, it not only provides details of existing challenges, but also offers deeper insights into the possibility of solving problems using hydrocarbon bioremediation.

Annotation Bioremediation: Applied Microbial Solutions for RealWorld Environmental Cleanup is a fascinating examination of research and its realworld application. Intended for both academics and practitioners, the book presents information on the legal, scientific, and engineering principles behind bioremediation for cleaning up contaminated soil and groundwater sources. Provides global perspective in coverage of a broad range of bioremediation technologies including bioinjection, bioaugmentation, and phytoremediationOffers viewpoints from contributors who are recognized leaders in their fieldsPresents over 130 figures including highquality line drawingsExamines practical examples of bioremediation application, including relevant case studiesDiscusses the interactions of legal, scientific, and engineering principles behind use of bioremediation for cleanup of contaminated land and aquifers.